Key takeaways
- ASICS leads. The top two trail running shoes on Taobao over the past 30 days are both from ASICS (40,000+ each), and so are Douyin's top three (10,000+, 10,000+ and 8,000+). ASICS is the only brand on all three lists: Taobao, Douyin and Dewu.
- Chinese brands take half the places. Li-Ning, Xtep and Kailas hold 6 places in Taobao's Top 10, with Kailas alone taking 3; Kailas, Anta, ERKE and Bmai hold 5 places on Douyin. Dewu is dominated by international brands such as ASICS, SALOMON and adidas.
- The palette is layered greys. All three platforms centre on low-saturation fog grey, off-white and charcoal. The report gives 8 Pantone shades: a grey scale from antique white to grey-black as the base, with haze blue and wine red as accents.
- Quick lacing is the shared detail. Quick-lace systems are a key element on both Taobao and Dewu, and the report names the elastic quick-fit lacing system as the mainstream lacing solution for city-ready trail shoes.
- Four design directions: two structural (the elastic quick-fit lacing system and the composite lightweight off-road outsole), one material (the TPU overlay) and one detail (multi-piece mesh stitching).
By Valimart VALI Trend Research. Report published 18 September 2026. Sales data are the 30-day trail running shoe rankings on Taobao and Douyin at the time of publication (as displayed by each platform), plus Dewu's trending styles.
Why now: trail shoes move from the mountains into the city
Trail running shoes are breaking out of the "specialist gear" box. Helped by celebrity endorsements and street-style photos, they have moved from mountain trails into city life: Salomon, HOKA and other brands have signed entertainers as ambassadors and folded technical trail products into everyday outfits. The shoes combine outdoor grip and cushioning with a fashionable look, work for both sport and the commute, and have become a hit item of gorpcore ("mountain style"). The report sums up the item as the "wasteland technical trail running shoe", with three keywords: mountain-tech function, technical overlays, and trail-to-city versatility.
The report's inspiration piece is the Salomon XT-Whisper: a low-saturation beige-grey base with small bright accents, combining Y2K retro mood with mountain-tech texture. It turns trail features such as quick laces and technical overlays into fashion design signatures, taking the shoe beyond sport and making it easy to mix with fashion. On the runway, the Japanese technical label White Mountaineering's Fall/Winter 2026 show paired technical outerwear and quilted trousers with trail-runner-style sneakers, the same idea.
Both key brands in the report come from the French Alps:
- HOKA: founded in 2009 in the French Alps by trail runners Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard. The brand is known for lightweight, thick-soled cushioning that reduces impact on the feet when running in the mountains, and its long-distance shock absorption has made it a leading trail running shoe brand.
- Salomon: founded in 1947 in Annecy, in the heart of the Alps. It started with ski equipment, later moved into mountain running, and is known for terrain protection and stable grip. Classic trail shoes such as the XT-4 balance mountain performance with outdoor fashion.
Best sellers on three Chinese platforms: ASICS leads, Chinese brands take half
The table lists the 30-day trail running shoe Top 10 on Taobao (China's largest online marketplace) and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok, where live-stream shopping is huge), plus the Top 10 trending styles on Dewu (also known as Poizon). Sales are the figures shown by each platform; "+" means "or more". Dewu does not show sales.
| Rank | Taobao (brand | 30-day sales) | Douyin (brand | 30-day sales) | Dewu trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASICS | 40,000+ | ASICS | 10,000+ | ASICS |
| 2 | ASICS | 40,000+ | ASICS | 10,000+ | SALOMON |
| 3 | Li-Ning (李宁) | 30,000+ | ASICS | 8,000+ | ASICS |
| 4 | Xtep (特步) | 10,000+ | Kailas (凯乐石) | 8,000+ | adidas |
| 5 | Kailas (凯乐石) | 10,000+ | Anta (安踏) | 6,000+ | Anta (安踏) |
| 6 | Kailas (凯乐石) | 10,000+ | ERKE (鸿星尔克) | 5,000+ | New Balance |
| 7 | ASICS | 9,000+ | Bmai (必迈) | 3,000+ | adidas |
| 8 | Saucony | 4,000+ | HOKA | 2,000+ | SALOMON |
| 9 | Li-Ning (李宁) | 2,000+ | Mizuno (美津浓) | 1,000+ | Arc'teryx |
| 10 | Kailas (凯乐石) | 1,000+ | Bmai (必迈) | 900+ | NIKE JUNIPER |
Source: 30-day trail running shoe sales rankings on Taobao and Douyin and trending styles on Dewu, compiled by Valimart VALI Trend Research (published 2026-09-18).
Four things stand out:
- Taobao: three places each for ASICS and Kailas. ASICS takes the top two (40,000+ each) and No. 7 (9,000+), all retro trail styles with mesh uppers, cage overlays and lugged outsoles. Kailas's three styles are all at 1,000+ or more, two of them above 10,000, all from its FUGA line. Nos. 3 and 4, from Li-Ning (30,000+) and Xtep (10,000+), look more like road running shoes, which suggests the "trail running shoe" category is drawn quite broadly on Taobao.
- Douyin: ASICS sweeps the top three. Nos. 1 and 2 sold 10,000+ each and No. 3 8,000+, followed by Kailas (8,000+), Anta (6,000+) and ERKE (5,000+); Bmai holds 2 places, and HOKA and Mizuno one each.
- Dewu: mainly international brands. ASICS, SALOMON and adidas hold 2 places each, alongside New Balance, Arc'teryx, NIKE and Anta, the only Chinese brand. Technical webbing, quick laces and deep-lug outsoles are the most frequent details on this list.
- Across platforms: ASICS appears on all three lists; Kailas on both Taobao and Douyin; Anta on both Douyin and Dewu.
Colours and key details: layered greys, with haze blue and wine red as accents
The main colours are nearly identical across the three platforms, all low-saturation greys, whites, blacks and earth tones; the difference is in the accents:
| Platform | Key colours | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Taobao | Mainly fog white, light grey, off-white and charcoal in low-saturation and earth tones, with navy, wine red, pale pink, light blue and dark purple as local contrasts | Mesh and synthetic leather patchwork uppers, quick-lace systems, deep-lug non-slip outsoles |
| Douyin | Mainly fog grey, off-white and charcoal in low-saturation and earth tones, with small bright accents | Thick, textured sculpted midsoles, multi-panel mesh and leather uppers |
| Dewu | Mainly white and grey, with haze blue and off-white as soft bases, and black, navy and red-purple contrasts on logos and structural lines | Technical webbing straps, quick-lace systems, deep-lug thick outsoles, mesh and synthetic leather patchwork |
The report's colour direction is "outdoor function, everyday mountain style, technical retro". The theme is urban outdoor trail: layered greys form the base, mixing the softness of natural white with the solidity of grey-black, while haze blue and wine red add a fashion spark to the hardcore outdoor foundation.
| Colour | Pantone | Role in the palette |
|---|---|---|
| Antique White | 11-0105 TPG | Base: upper body, midsole |
| Dove Grey | 14-4102 TPG | Base: mesh, midsole |
| Medium Gray | 18-0004 TPG | Transition: overlays, panels |
| Dark Gray | 19-0001 TPG | Anchor: cage overlays, toe caps |
| Gray Black | 19-0303 TPG | Anchor: outsoles, all-black styles |
| Cerulean Tint | 14-4112 TPG | Accent: laces, webbing, logos |
| Wine Red | 19-1624 TPG | Accent: pull tabs, structural lines |
| Dark Brown | 19-1019 TPG | Earth tone: suede and synthetic leather panels |
Four design directions
1. Structure: the elastic quick-fit lacing system
Elastic quick laces change how trail shoes are tightened: no knots, so they resist snagging outdoors and slip on and off quickly, while the neat lock does not spoil the shoe's lines. Balancing outdoor function with city looks, this is the mainstream lacing solution for city-ready trail shoes. The report references styles from Kailas and Ocai. Keywords: quick on and adjust, locked-in fit, knot-free and snag-free.
2. Structure: the composite lightweight off-road outsole
As trail shoes move into the city, the composite lightweight off-road outsole is spreading: a lightweight foam midsole with a hard-wearing rubber outsole, giving grip on trails and comfort on city streets, for consumers who want one shoe for both the outdoors and the commute. The report references several HOKA styles. Keywords: adapted lug pattern, balanced grip, commute-ready.
3. Material: the TPU overlay
The upper is built from mesh panels with a TPU overlay heat-pressed onto the outside. It is more than decoration: it limits mesh deformation and improves lateral support and tear resistance, while the geometric cage creates a mountain-tech look. The report references ASICS, Kailas, Salomon and HOLO PEAK. Keywords: heat-pressed bonding, cage reinforcement, technical look.
4. Detail: multi-piece mesh stitching
The upper is stitched from different mesh panels in zones: dense mesh at the toe for abrasion protection, open mesh on the body for breathability, and only small taped reinforcements at the toe and heel, balancing structure and ventilation for both rough trails and city wear. The report references ASICS, Brooks, New Balance, Salomon and Merrell. Keywords: multi-panel stitching, mixed materials, zoned breathability.
The report turns these directions into four AI-generated reference shoes: a light grey mesh shoe with a dark grey cage overlay and metal eyelets; two shoes, in grey and charcoal, with seamless film-overlay uppers and elastic quick laces; and a light grey mesh shoe on a thick cushioned composite sole.
What to do next: notes for designers and buyers
- Secure volume first: the leaders on Taobao and Douyin are retro trail styles with mesh uppers, cage overlays and lugged outsoles, so build the core range in this style, in antique white, dove grey and medium grey.
- Make quick laces standard: Taobao and Dewu both list quick-lace systems as a key element; elastic quick laces are practical and keep the lines clean, so they can go on core styles.
- Greys first, small accents: keep haze blue and wine red to laces, webbing, pull tabs and logos; for women's styles, follow Taobao and try small contrasts in pale pink, light blue or dark purple.
- Soles that work on city streets: a composite lightweight off-road outsole (light foam midsole plus hard-wearing rubber outsole) suits outdoor-and-commute use and matches Douyin's taste for thick, textured sculpted midsoles.
- Design before sampling: use AI to combine cage overlays, mesh zoning, quick laces and colour into design images first, pick the direction, then sample, so fewer rounds of samples are needed.
FAQ
What trail running shoes are trending for Fall/Winter 2026-27?
City-ready trail shoes still lead: mesh and synthetic leather patchwork uppers, TPU cage overlays, elastic quick laces and deep-lug non-slip outsoles. ASICS leads by brand: its top two styles on Taobao sold 40,000+ each in 30 days, and it holds Douyin's top three. Chinese brands such as Kailas, Li-Ning, Xtep and Anta take half the places on Taobao and Douyin.
Which colours sell best for trail running shoes?
Low-saturation layered greys. Fog grey, off-white and charcoal are the shared main colours across all three platforms, with Taobao adding small contrasts in navy, wine red, pale pink, light blue and dark purple. The report's 8 shades are Antique White (Pantone 11-0105 TPG), Dove Grey (14-4102 TPG), Medium Gray (18-0004 TPG), Dark Gray (19-0001 TPG), Gray Black (19-0303 TPG), Cerulean Tint (14-4112 TPG), Wine Red (19-1624 TPG) and Dark Brown (19-1019 TPG).
Why can trail running shoes be worn every day?
They combine outdoor grip and cushioning with a fashionable look, and brands such as Salomon and HOKA have used celebrity ambassadors and street style to bring them from the mountains into the city. Quick laces make them easy to put on, and composite lightweight soles walk well on city pavements, so they work for both sport and the commute.
This article is the text version of the Valimart VALI Trend Research report "26-27AW Key Item Analysis: Wasteland Technical Trail Running Shoes". The full 16-page report (in Chinese, with all product images): https://ai.valimart.net/trenddetail/282.html
Want to turn quick laces, TPU cages or zoned mesh into design images? Try the VALI AI footwear design platform: pick a direction and generate designs.
About Valimart VALI Trend Research
Valimart is a digital services platform for the footwear and leather industry. VALI Trend Research publishes weekly key-item and colour reports for footwear and apparel, drawing on rankings from Taobao, Douyin and Dewu and on international brand releases. The VALI AI footwear design platform turns trend directions into design images.